Proceedings of the

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Proceedings of the

Danish Institute at Athens VI

Edited by Erik Hallager and Sine Riisager

Athens 2009

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Volume VI

General Editor: Erik Hallager.

Graphic design: Erik Hallager.

Printed at Narayana Press, Denmark Printed in Denmark on permanent paper conforming to ANSI Z 39.48-1992 The publication was sponsored by:

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ISSN: 1108-149X

ISBN: 978-87-7934-522-5

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Cover illustration: Reconstruction of the city of Kalydon Graphics by: Mikkel Mayerhofer

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Zea Harbour Project:

preliminary report 2007—2008

BJ0rn Loven & Mads Moller Nielsen

The Zea Harbour Project (ZHP) is a collaboration between the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, the 26th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical An tiquities, the Danish Institute at Athens and the University of Southern Denmark.1 Its objectives are to investigate the ancient naval installations and

harbour and coastal fortifications in and around

the harbours of Zea and Mikrolimano (ancient Mounichia).2 In 2007, ZHP conducted underwa ter excavations in Zea and land surveys on Kou- moundourou Hill, south of Mounichia (Fig. 1). In 2008, ZHP conducted underwater excavations in

the harbours of both Zea and Mounichia.

Zea Harbour 2007-2008

Zea Shipshed Groups 1 & 2 (Z-Gl &

Z-G2)

Excavations continued in 2007 and 2008 in Area

2 at Zea (Fig. 2). This area lies at the critical junc tion of the shipsheds of Groups 1 and 2. During our 2005—2008 excavation campaigns in this area we identified the remains of six shipsheds and a number of open slipways, some of which overlap.

Evidence of three building phases were found, as well as a wedge-shaped area paved with large ashlar blocks between shipshed Groups 1 and 2. This area was in all probability intended as a passageway to the shipsheds, but may have served multiple func tions, such as an assembly area for trireme crews, or a working area associated with the ships and their equipment.

During the 2007 and 2008 seasons a number of trenches were opened and large areas were surface ZHP: PRELIMINARY REPORT 2007-2008

cleaned. We made several important discoveries during these two intensive campaigns. Two are par ticularly deserving of consideration. The first dis covery was of substantial stratified layers with ma terial that points unequivocally to a 5th century bc date for the first two building phases; further exca vations are required to answer the question, which historical sources have failed to elucidate —precisely when in the 5th century bc the first naval installa tions in the Piraeus were built. The question is an important one, especially as the navy and its bases in the Piraeus served as one of the prime movers

1 We wish to thank Dr. E. Lykouri, Dr. G. Steinhauer, Dr.

K. Axioti, Dr. D. Kourkoumelis, Dr. K. Preka-Alexandri, Dr. A. Simosi, Dr. K. Dellaporta, Dr. E. Spondylis, Dr. E.

Hadjidaki, Dr. E. Hallager, The Hellenic Coast Guard, Ma rina Zeas A/S, NAE, Istioploikos Omilos and the staff of

the Danish Institute at Athens for our successful collabora

tion and their help over these last nine years. We also wish to thank the Carlsberg Foundation for their generous funding of the project. Dr. John Hale of the University of Louisville has been a great friend to the project and Mr. Richard Anderson is to be singled out for adding precision to our work over the years. We also wish to thank Professor Vincent Gabrielsen of the University of Copenhagen, who has been an important mentor to us. Viking (Trelleborg) manufactures the chemi cally resistant dry suits that are essential to our work. I wish to thank them for giving us the last two suits that were destined

for a trade show in the United States. We furthermore wish

to thank Dr. Dan Davis of the University of Texas at Austin for correcting the English text and for useful comments. Last but not least Bjorn Loven wishes to thank our team, which was led in the field in 2007 by Ioannis Triantafilidis and in 2008 by Chryssanthi Papadopoulou and Vassilis Tsiaris. Both years competently supported by Assistant Director Mette K.

Schaldemose.

2 In regard to the shipsheds, see Loven et al. 2007; Loven 2008;

Loven forth. In regards to the fortifications see Nielsen 2007 in Loven et al. 2007 and Nielsen 2007, for general information on the fortifications, see Garland 2001 and Eickstedt 1991.

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Zea «TK&S2&

of the Athenian democracy and comprised Athens' largest public institution in the 5th and 4th centuries bc in terms of sheer size, cost and administration, as well as political and military influence.

Secondly the wedge-shaped area described above delineates the southernmost shipshed in Group 1

Mounichia

Koumoundourou Hill

Fig. 1. Areas under investigation in 2007 and 2008. ©Google

Earth Pro 2009.

(Phase 3), and we can now define the last building phase in Group 1 as a 105 m long section of 16 dou ble shipsheds. Altogether, Group 1 covered an area of about 9.360 square metres in the 4th century bc.

Under its roofs were stored 32 triremes that would

have been crewed by some 6,400 rowers and sailors.

Fig. 2. M.M. Nielsen documenting rock- cut features in Area 2, Zea. B. Loven

©ZHP 2007.

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Fig. 3. The round tower K-Tl. D.W. Williams ©ZHP

2007.

Koumoundourou Hill, 2007

Koumoundourou Hill is a small peninsula rising

just to the south of the harbour of Mounichia. The

hill today is partially occupiedby the Hellenic Sailing

Club (NOE), the members of which were exceed

ingly helpful and understanding during our work.

The objectives of the 2007 investigations were to obtain new information regarding the coastal forti fications, and to record previously registered struc

tures in more detail. Another motivation for the work was to record the current condition of the fortifications in the harsh coastal environment in this part of the Piraeus.

Two areas of Koumoundourou Hill were investi

gated. In the western part, work focused on a large round tower (K-Tl, Fig. 3) and an adjacent wall

(K-W5). The main focus of the work, however,

took place in the southeast part in the garden of

NOE where the remains of the coastal fortifica

tions are still preserved (K-W4, Fig. 4).

Most of the surveyed structures had previously been excavated, but only summarily documented.3

It became apparent that extensive remains were still

preserved, although some areas are in a very poor

state. This is due not only to the winds and waves of a harsh coastal environment, but also to the destruc tive action of trees with roots that dislocate blocks

from their /'// situ position and in some cases even destroy them.

ZHP: PRELIMINARY REPORT 2007-2008

Fig. 4. Coastal fortifications (K-W4) in the garden of the Hellenic Sailing Club. D.W. Williams ©ZHP

2007.

Over the course of the 2007 season on the hill we came to realize that the ancient remains are under great environmental stress, and that several structures are in immediate danger of total disinte gration (K-W4, Fig. 5). There is very little chance of preserving these ancient remains due to their

extreme location at the violent interface between

land and sea. Electronic survey now and in the im mediate future is therefore a critical requirement, not only as a step in our understanding of the de

velopment and use of Koumoundourou Hill, but also as an important archive and resource for work

in the future.

Of the more interesting features discovered dur ing fieldwork on Koumoundourou Hill in 2007, two are particularly deserving of mention. On the

northwest part of the hill a large round tower, now known as K-Tl, was documented (Fig. 3). It is the thirteenth fortification tower to be surveyed by ZHP. It has a diameter of 10.3 m, and its exposed elements are still fairly well preserved. The tower is probably a watchtower and possibly part of a larger

fortification system on the hill. It has been dated

tentatively by Threpsiadis to the late 5th to early 4th

centuries bc, based on its construction technique alone. However, excavation of a fill north of the

tower could point to no specific date. Although it

is inconclusive, an inscription (IG2 244) mention ing repairs to fortifications on the hill indicates that 3Threpsiadis 1936, 159-95. See especially pi. 1, p. 161.

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•„/^h

the tower was standing in 337 bc.4 Further inves tigations east and north of the tower are needed in order to identify its relationship with other remains on the hill and to obtain a more precise date. This tower may have been associated with a small stretch of wall (K-W3) on the northeast side of the hill (Fig. 6). If so, it would give evidence that the tower

Fig. 6. Wall section K-W3, possibly associated with the

round tower K-Tl. M.M. Nielsen ©ZHP 2007.

Fig. 5. Coastal fortifications (K-

W4) after clean ing; view from

below. D.W.

Williams

©ZHP 2007.

was part of a more extensive and elaborate system of fortification. This is merely a preliminary inter pretation and the supposed relation between K-W3 and K-T1 is based only on the similar type of ma sonry employed in their construction.

Threpsiadis 1936, 163, note 1.

YjT ^, > V*-' \ "V.VJ -' ia L* L> % A

„ K. LI ~

Fig. 7. Ceramic surface finds from Koumoundourou

Hill. M.M. Nielsen ©ZHP 2007.

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The second surprise was the discovery of deco rated pottery. The surface finds were found near a large, pit-like feature and it probably represents discarded material or material deposited in a well or a natural hollow in the bedrock. The pottery is possibly of Geometric date, thus indicating an early use of Koumoundourou Hill and possibly also the Mounichia harbour (Fig. 7).:) It is now being ana lysed by the 26th Ephorate.

Mounichia Harbour, 2008

Mounichia was the smallest of the naval stations

in the ancient Piraeus, and today it is found di rectly under, and around, the modern harbour of Mikrolimano. As is often the case, the modern har bour has utilised the ancient structures with both beneficial and disastrous results. Outside the mod ern harbour, the ancient structures are still to be found preserved in the sea, whereas the remains inside are largely destroyed by modern dredging or anchoring. However, underwater surveys have

revealed that extensive remains of the ancient har

bour are still preserved. 2008 was our first year of

excavations at Mounichia and work was carried out

in two areas inside the harbour, focusing on the

naval installations and harbour fortifications.

Mounichia Shipshed Group 7 (M-G7)

In the first area one trench (Trench 1) was opened around the shipshed column (or pier) foundations found during survey dives in 2006, while a second (Trench 2) was opened around three in situ archi tectural elements. The two features stand atop a rubble foundation m which the possibility of dis covering datable material remains very promising.

The southern fortified quay (chili, M-CW3) runs west from submerged Tower M-T3 and forms the back wall of these shipsheds. The foundations of the column (or pier) are located perpendicular to

and at a distance of about 40.0 m from the inside

of the fortified quay. Other unidentified in situ re mains, probably elements of a shipshed, are locat

ed about 53.5 m from the inside of the fortified

quay. This provides a reliable indication that at least ZHP: PRELIMINARY REPORT 2007-2008

Fig. 8. P. Athanasopoulos excavating the northern chele.

A. Korres is tending the diver and taking notes. M.M.

Nielsen ©ZHP 2007.

40—50 m of the harbour front has been submerged since antiquity.

However, it should be pointed out that at least

some of the submerged structures were purposefully

placed underwater to serve as the wetted founda tions of such structures as quays and breakwaters, and are therefore poor indicators of diachronic sea- level change. Indeed, while it seems reasonable to assume that the lower ends of the shipsheds stopped at the water's edge, there are good reasons for ex tending them in and under water a small distance.

Ramps, for example, likely stretched slightly un

derwater to compensate for the small tidal changes that take place in the Aegean (with seasonal ranges between 0.1 and 0.8+ m). And superstructures may

have projected over the water to shelter the bows of warships from rain and slanting sunlight. For these reasons there is a dire need to record and analyse the

3 Regarding other geometric ceramic finds from Kou moundourou Hill, see Palaiokrassa 1991, 64-5, pi. 26: Ka 6-8, Ka 10—12 and Ka 15. The main part of the geometric finds belongs to Middle Geometric to Late Geometric periods and only very few finds are earlier.

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Fig. 9. Detail of the first and second courses of the northern chili (M-CWl) preserved under the modern quay. The second course is set almost 0.4 m back for stability. M.M. Nielsen ©ZHP 2008.

topography and preserved structures of Mounichia in order to better understand their arrangement vis a-vis those at Zea and the changes that have taken place over the centuries.

Mounichia, Tower M-Ti & the Northern Chele In the second area the main focus of our investiga tions was the northern part of the harbour fortifica tions, the northern chele (M-CWl) of the ancient

harbour. The structure itself was probably more than 210 m long. The complete width of the wall is unknown, but it was probably close to the 9 m mentioned by Hirschfeld in 1878/' The chele pos sibly had a double function, serving as both a quay area within the naval harbour and as protection against enemy attack from the sea.

The chele may have had up to three towers, with M-Tl serving as the last and most important one, forming one side of the fortified harbour mouth.

The tower is the tallest standing fortification struc ture known in the Piraeus, rising more than 9 m

from the bottom of the sea.

West of the tower a large area was cleaned in or der to identify the extent of the preserved remains and to distinguish geological formations from man- made structures (Fig. 8). Three courses of the an cient chele M-CWl were identified, along with the

bedrock on which it was built.

Further north, two trenches were opened along

the inside of the ancient harbour fortification wall.

In this area M-CWl is preserved to a height of two courses (Fig. 9), and is standing on a built rubble

foundation.

''Hirschfeld 1878, 16, n. 13.

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Our investigations so far have revealed that the harbour's engineers not only took advantage of the morphology of the coast, but also enhanced its natural and advantageous features with additional

structural elements in order to create a secure har bour.

Presenting the past in the present

Finally, in the winter of 2008/9, ZHP initiated a new research project, Presenting the Past in the Present. The aim is to create a more personalised, interactive learning environment via 3D and Vir tual Reality recording and presentation. The need for archaeologically valid models that separate fact from fiction is borne of the complexity of the site itself, including its artifacts, the physical landscape,

and the architectural structures of the ancient har bours, all of which are set within a dense and mod ern urban matrix. Such visualisations and interpre

ZHP: PRELIMINARY REPORT 2007-2008

tive tools can be applied both in the archaeological research community, and in learning environments such as schools, museums and other public spheres.

An important part of this project is the creation of an online 3D engine that will enable the user to explore what are essentially 'one to one' recon structions (similar to the one depicted in Fig. 10, but as an interactive 3D model) of environments so real that you can hear the drone of the surf against the ramps and the squawk of seagulls flitting about

these ancient waterfronts.

We also intend to present our survey data in an online program, where anyone can access the data in 3D, in such programs as MicroStation, Auto CAD and Rhino, instead of consulting traditional flat sections and plans presented in paper publica

tions. The addition of the third dimension to ar

chaeological publications is a major scientific step forward, as it will enable users to test our raw field data and our conclusions in a more direct and easy

m a n n e r .

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Bibliography

Eickstedt, K.V. von, 1991

Beitrage zur Topographic des Antiken Piraus, Athens.

Garland, R. 2001

The Piraeus: From the fifth to the first century BC, Bristol.

Hirschfeld, G. 1878

Die Peiraieusstadt. Sachsische Aka-

demie der Wissenschaften, Leipzig, 1-31, tafelnl-VI.

Loven, B. 2008

'The Zea Shipsheds—Walking in the footsteps of Wilhelm Dor- pfeld', in AisOvsq HuveSoio acpis-

owpievo axov Wilhelm Dorpfeld, n^ocKTixa ZoveSoiou, AeoxaSa 6—11 Auyouaiou 2006, Papadatou—

Giannopoulou, H. (ed.), FlaToa,

121-31.

Loven, B. et al. forth.

The ancient Naval Harbours of the Piraeus, Vol. I, 1-2, The Zea ship sheds and slipways: architecture and topography, forthcoming.

Loven, B., G. Steinhauer, D.

Kourkoumelis & M.M. Nielsen 2007

'The Zea Harbour Project: the first six years', PoDIA V, 61-74.

Nielsen, M.M. 2007

'Three pieces of the Piraean puz zle: Towers M-Tl, P-T1 and IJ-T2', PoDIA V, 75-89.

Palaiokrassa, L. 1991

To isqo rrjg A.QTEjjidoQ Mouvi/t'ag,

Athens.

Threpsiadis, I. 1936

'Avocaxatpixod sgeuvoa sv KaaxeXXa too neiQouiog', PAE, 159-95.